To Save Her Hanyou
by Mishelledor23
Summary: Post-Canon. Miroku returns home from a job, injured and holding the Tessaiga. Pregnant and terrified for her husband's life, Kagome must set out to find what's become of Inuyasha, before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine. :(

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Kagome sighed happily and stretched her arms above her head. It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky, warm with just a gentle breeze. Sango sat beside her, cradling Satoshi in her arms. The twins Aiko and Hikari were playing by the river and the sound of their laughter was music to her ears. She had been back in the Feudal Era for six months now and it was remarkable how so much had changed in the three years she had been gone. Miroku was still a flirt, but he was a devoted husband and a loving father; his girls absolutely adored him. Sango was still feisty and tough but it was a quieter kind of strength than before. Shippo and Kaede had barely changed at all. That was comforting in it's way, it made falling into a routine far easier than she'd expected. But there was more change to come, Kagome thought, pressing a hand to her rounded belly.

Of all of them, Inuyasha had changed the most in her mind. Her _husband._ She'd loved him for years, yet husband still sounded so strange to her, in a good way of course. She'd learned soon after returning that every three days, Inuyasha would go to the Bone-Eater's Well and just sit there, waiting and hoping that she'd return. Hearing that had made her heart swell and break at the same time. Six months, and apart from his demon-slaying excursions with Miroku, he wouldn't let her out of his sight. Even then it took much reassurance from Miroku, Sango, Kaede, Kagome and even Sesshoumaru on the rare occasion he was here that nothing would happen while he was gone for him to agree to go. And when he returned, it was the same thing every time. He'd make a beeline for the hut they shared, see her there and pull her into an tight embrace. He'd never say anything, but Kagome could feel the tension slipping away. Some might say it wasn't healthy, the over-protectiveness he felt towards her, but Kagome truly didn't mind. She didn't particularly enjoy being separated from him either. Thankfully, he and Miroku were due back any day now.

"Kagome!" Sango said "Look!" The unmistakeable silhouette of Kirara had appeared in the sky, but it didn't take long for them to notice something was very wrong. Sango blanched at the sight when Kirara landed. Miroku's face was ashen and a gash in his right shoulder had left his entire side soaked with blood. In his other hand, he feebly grasped both his staff and the Tessaiga. Kagome felt faint. What had happened? The twins had run to welcome their father home and promptly freaked out at the sight of blood.

"Daddy!" Hikari cried.

"Where's Uncle Doggy?" Aiko sobbed. Sango knelt and tried very hard to keep her voice level.

"Girls, I need you to go find Granny Kaede. Daddy is going to be fine, but I need her help. Can you do that for me?" Hikari nodded bravely and took her sister's hand. They ran back to the village as fast as their little legs could carry them. Satoshi began to cry.

"Here." Kagome whispered, gently taking the infant from Sango's arms. Sango gave her a brief smile of thanks before turning her attention to her wounded husband.

"Miroku! Open your eyes, you can't fall asleep! Come on!" Her quiet urging seemed to work. Miroku's blue eyes opened but they were bleary full of pain.

"I-Inu-yasha…."

"What happened to him?" Kagome asked, unable to keep the panic from her voice.

"Inuyasha needs help…"

TBC

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Author's note: Here's a fun fact! Here are what the names of Sango and Miroku's children mean.

Hikari= light. Aiko= beloved, loving child. And Satoshi= clear-thinking, quick-witted.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Inuyasha still isn't mine. Thank you so much to my followers! Seeing that is inspiring! Hope you enjoy this next bit!

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"Mommy…" Inuyasha whispered. Mommy turned to look at him. She was pale and sweaty and couldn't move her head from the pillow but she was still the prettiest lady Inuyasha had ever seen.

"My boy….my treasure…" she coughed and grimaced in pain. "You cannot stay here, you must leave before they find you." Inuyasha's ears drooped and his big amber eyes filled with tears. He sniffled and scrubbed them away. Mommy was crying too.

"Be strong...I love you so much…Inuyasha." She coughed again and blood dribbled down her chin. "Go now!"

"I promise Mommy!" He bravely gave Mommy a kiss on the cheek like the many she'd given him. Balling his tiny hands into fists, Inuyasha turned and ran. From the only family he'd ever had. He scrambled up a tree just outside the castle gates. He wrapped his hands around himself and trembled. Hidden from sight by the thick leaves, he couldn't see the castle men lighting their torches and searching for him. But he could hear what they were saying.

"The demon-whore is dead."

"Filthy half-breed."

"Kill him on sight."

"Disgusting."

Inuyasha wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He'd promised Mommy. He'd be strong and never cry again.

Kagome sat outside Sango's hut trying very hard to keep her three children calm while keeping a grip on her own rising panic. Hikari was constantly moving, pacing, drawing patterns in the dirt, trying to sneak peeks inside the hut. Kagome gently rebuffed the attempts, three and a half was no age to see this kind of thing. Aiko sat on Kagome's lap. She was trying her hardest to be quiet, but she couldn't stop crying. She wanted Daddy, she wanted Uncle Doggy, she wanted Mommy. Satoshi squirmed constantly. It was infuriating but Kagome knew she couldn't lose her temper with the babies.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Sango pushed aside the flap of the hut. She looked exhausted but relieved. She knelt so her daughters could run to her.

"You have to be gentle with Daddy, ok?" The twins nodded solemnly. Sango let them past and took Satoshi back from Kagome. Miroku was still very pale, but a little colour had returned to his cheeks. His entire left side was bandaged, arm and torso. He was managing to stay semi-upright, with Shippo's help. The twins, not fully understanding what "gentle" meant, had instantly snuggled up to their father; Aiko was on his lap and Hikari was under his right arm.

"Hello, darlings," Miroku murmured to his daughters, "Daddy's ok now." He looked at Kagome.

"Kagome, I'm so sorry. Inuyasha and I went to a village by the big forest for an exorcism, it was a simple centipede and we killed it without a hitch. But on the way home…" His expression went dark. It had been a while since anyone had seen him so angry.

"Some cowards from the village were angry at the headman for hiring us and didn't like being indebted to a hanyou. They followed and attacked. They threw some sort of explosive at us. I've never seen one that powerful. Inuyasha managed to shove me out of the way but he got caught in the blast himself." Miroku's hand balled into a fist. "He dropped Tessaiga when he tried to draw it and ended up getting blown away. I don't know where he landed or if he's alright." He looked so sickened with himself for leaving his best friend behind, but Kagome understood. He wouldn't have gotten far on his own. Sango lovingly brushed away Miroku's bangs. His breathing was becoming laboured again.

"We will find him." She assured him. "Kirara, will you take Kagome back there?" Kirara mewed. Kagome cut her friend off before she could speak again.

"Thank you, Sango, you better stay here; your family needs you."

"You're family too Kagome. Inuyasha too." Sango replied, but Kagome knew she was grateful. Miroku wasn't out of the woods just yet. Kagome armed herself with a full quiver of arrows, her bow and the Tessaiga. Kirara transformed with a roar and Kagome leapt onto her back. There wasn't a moment to lose!

TBC

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Thanks for reading!

Shooshkipoo


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Wow! Thank you so much to everyone that has followed/faved and reviewed! I'll try not to disappoint!

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Inuyasha heard the sound of the Hiraikotsu approaching before he saw it. He narrowly managed to jump out of the way.

"So, you are Inuyasha. Well I am your death!" Inuyasha stared in horror and surprise. Sango stood before him with hate in her eyes. Behind her, a figure knelt serenely, dressed in the pelt of a white baboon. Naraku. How could this be? Naraku was dead and gone!

"Father, Kohaku, I will avenge your deaths!" Sango hurled the Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha managed to dodge out of the way again.

 _A memory?_ Inuyasha wondered. _But if so, where are Kagome and Miroku and Shippo?_ He glanced around; his friends were nowhere to be found. In his distraction, Sango had gotten close enough to slice at him with her katana.

"Sango stop! I didn't kill your family!" She didn't stop. Her attacks were relentless and fueled by grief and rage. "Don't you remember? It was a dirty trick of Naraku's!" Her next attack managed to slice his cheek. Hurt, confused and unable to make himself hurt his friend, Inuyasha turned and ran. The demon slayer followed close behind.

 _What the hell is going on?!_

Kagome grasped the Tessaiga so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. She'd done nothing but silently pray that she'd find Inuyasha alive. After all, given everything he'd survived before now, how much damage could a human made bomb do? Kirara began her descent and Kagome gasped at a sudden movement within her. She pressed a hand to her belly, but felt nothing.

"Sorry I disturbed you," she murmured, rubbing her tummy gently. _Inuyasha, you have to be alright; you have to meet your baby!_ Kagome had to try very hard not to succumb to tears again, but it was hard not to when the memory of Inuyasha's elated smile when she'd told him the news arose to the front of her mind. He'd been so happy, he had actually swept her up and spun around-though he'd vehemently denied that part later on.

Kirara landed and Kagome slid gracefully off her back and to the ground. She surveyed the mess left behind by the attack and felt the anger rising like bile, threatening to choke her. She could just see it; Inuyasha and Miroku deciding that such an easy kill was deserving of a leisurely walk in the woods for a little while. No need to rush back. Inuyasha surely would have smelled the villagers on the path but thought nothing of it. Her hands clenched into fists so tight that she could feel her nails drawing blood. _Those despicable cowards. If I ever see them…_

Kirara whined to get her attention. The fire-cat had locked on to Inuyasha's scent, he'd evidently landed somewhere deep in the forest. Kagome tucked Tessaiga into her sash. Though holding the sword brought a little bit of comfort, she needed her hands free to use her bow and arrows. Especially now that the sun was setting.

"Ok Kirara, lead the way."

All forests look the same, especially at night. But Kagome couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been here before, and that it was a very bad place to be.

TBC

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Thanks for reading! I'll do my best to add a chapter every day or so!

Shooshkipoo


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, I wish I did but I don't. My eternal thanks to Rumiko Takahashi, her imagination has brought much joy into my life!

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Miroku opened his eyes. The hut was dark, apart from the small fire in the floor pit. He must have slept all day. He glanced around. Shippo and Kaede had gone home and his children were sound asleep. Sango was leaning upright against the wall, head slumped to the side and eyes closed. Asleep? Or just exhausted? In any case, it brought back memories of the countless nights a certain hanyou slept sitting up, cradling the Tessaiga almost like the teddy bear Kagome had brought home for Shippo that one time.

"Sango? Darling?" He spoke quietly, afraid to wake the children but unwilling to move. She awoke instantly.

"Miroku," she whispered, relief flooding her features. "How do you feel? Do you need water? Medicine? Tell me what you need."

"I need to hug my wife, come here." Sango silently crawled over and helped him to sit up. The moment she did, Miroku pulled her into an embrace and tangled a hand in her hair. His warm breath on her cheek never failed to make her shiver.

"I'm so sorry my love," Miroku murmured in the low velvety voice she adored. "I'm sorry I frightened you."

"I'm just glad you're alive." Sango answered. She wanted to hold him so tightly he couldn't breathe, unfortunately that would likely kill him if she did it now. She settled for pressing a fierce kiss against his lips. When they broke apart some minutes later, Sango answered the question before he could ask it.

"Kagome has gone after Inuyasha. She and Kirara left a few hours ago." Miroku sighed with relief. He took Sango's hand and kissed each fingertip.

"Thank you for staying here with me, I know it was a tough choice." The look on his face made Sango's heart ache.

"You made the right choice coming back here." Sango told him. "We have to trust that Kagome will be able to find him." She put on a brave smile, "Go back to sleep." The raised eyebrow Miroku showed her before obeying told her that he wasn't fooled; Sango was scared out of her wits that the pair wouldn't make it back. That made two of them.

Inuyasha looked around. He was in a field, looking up at a Buddhist temple. An ominous wind blew and the clouds were rolling in.

 _What the hell was happening now?_ He brushed his cheek experimentally; the cut from Sango's sword had vanished and so had she. A mighty wind exploded from the ground ahead of him, sucking everything towards it. He'd know this feeling anywhere, though he hadn't felt it in over three years; Miroku's wind tunnel. He stayed rooted to the spot.

 _I remember this, the day the mantis demon cut Miroku's hand and he came here for help. But we saved him! This is wrong!_

He heard Kagome's scream from up ahead. Instinct took over and he charged towards the void.

"Kagome!" He called. "I'm coming!" Inuyasha arrived on the scene just in time to see Shippo sucked into the void of Miroku's hand. Then Kirara and Sango. Then…

He didn't have time to scream before the void exploded and everything went black, the final cries of his friends ringing in his ears.

Kagome walked beside Kirara, eyes scanning constantly for any sign of Inuyasha. This forest was seriously giving her the creeps. There were no signs of life, no birds or squirrels or anything. Only the sound of the eerie wind rustling through the trees and the chilling suspicion that she was being watched. Why, why was this forest so familiar? Kagome tripped over a root, only to be caught by the quick reflexes of the fire-cat. She smiled, about to thank her when she noticed the root following her like a snake.

Kagome shrieked and batted away the root with her bow. She leapt onto Kirara's back and she rose a few feet off the ground. From here, Kagome could see the ground was teeming with these moving roots. They seemed angry that she was no longer in grabbing distance. Her eyes widened. She remembered now.

 _Kikyo's face was cold as she took the shards they'd worked so hard to collect from around Kagome's neck. Kagome was in such shock, it didn't occur to her to fight. She stared in disbelief up at the priestess as the roots took her deeper and deeper into the pit and began to torment her with images of Inuyasha and Kikyo together._

He was inside the cocoon of the demon Gatenmaru. The screams of the women outside filled him with such rage, he barely felt the pain in his gut. The wound bubbled and hissed with the poison but he ignored it. His vision began to turn red and the transformation took a hold of him. A small voice in his head tried to tell him this had to be a memory, but it quickly faded to the back of his mind as his demon blood surged forward and took control. He sliced through the cocoon with a snarl and charged.

TBC

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Thanks for reading!

Shooshkipoo


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine...sad but true.

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Kagome grit her teeth. The moon was high in the sky and the forest had become more aggressive. She'd been forced to tell Kirara to fly closer to the ground, but not to land. From there, she had to fight off the attacking roots using her sacred arrows, screaming Inuyasha's name all the while. Kirara roared in frustration. The ground was writhing, the air was thick with tension. The forest seemed like it was itching for the pair to make a mistake and seemed furious that they dared to resist.

The Tessaiga suddenly pulsated at her side making her gasp. Apparently, the sword wanted to find him as much as she did. To her right, Kagome noticed a deep pit at the base of a large tree. The Tessaiga throbbed again. Kagome's heart leapt.

"There! Go Kirara! Please hurry!" Kirara eagerly obliged, she picked up speed and swooped down as low as she dared. Motionless at the bottom of the pit and almost entirely obscured by the vile roots, lay Inuyasha.

"Take me down!" Kagome begged. Suddenly a flock of demon crows burst from the tree line. There were too many to count! Each of them had jagged jawed beaks, huge inky black wings and three horrible red eyes. They seemed intent on keeping Kirara away from the pit. Kagome's eyes widened.

 _Of course!_ These sickening creatures thought Inuyasha would be dead soon and he would be their next meal. Kagome let out an oath that would have made her husband blush. There was no way in hell she was going to let that happen!

"Keep them busy Kirara!" She slid off the cat's back and began the precarious climb down. A faint kick reminded her that this was not a recommended activity for a pregnant woman, but then, she'd done plenty of things in her life that weren't generally recommended. She picked up speed, her brown eyes fixed on her husband.

"I'm coming Inuyasha! Hang in there!"

Inuyasha's vision cleared and his heart rate finally began to calm. He hated this feeling. No, he _loathed_ it. The relief of changing back mixed with the fear of finding out what happened. It was enough to make him sick to his stomach. He took a few deep breaths and looked up. The moth demon Gatenmaru lay dead in his fully transformed state, a look of utter disbelief on his face. But he hadn't stopped there it seemed. Scattered across the field lay the corpses of the bandits that had accompanied Gatenmaru. Looking towards the village he saw nothing remained. The buildings had been gutted and torched and all the villagers had been slain. Every last one. It was then Inuyasha realized that it was far too quiet. A horrible feeling crept up his spine. Trembling, Inuyasha turned to look behind him.

Dead.

Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara…Kagome. All of them, lay motionless in pools of their own blood, their eyes empty and unseeing. Inuyasha didn't have to look at his bloody talons to know what he'd done. He dropped to his knees beside Kagome. She had the same look of disbelief on her face as Gatenmaru. Hands shaking, he lifted her body and held it. Her head lolled limply to the side, hair obscuring her face. She was broken and cold in his arms. He couldn't hold it in any longer.

Inuyasha threw back his head and howled.

Kagome made it to the bottom of the pit and ran to Inuyasha's side.

"Inuyasha!" She cried desperately. His eyes were closed, but he had a purple stripe on his cheek. His face was drawn in a pained expression and he was…whimpering? Kagome reached for an arrow, she couldn't waste any time. Above her, she could hear Kirara fending off the persistent crow demons. She jabbed the arrow into the root encircling Inuyasha's arm. For a second, nothing happened. Kagome was sure her spiritual power had failed when the arrow lit up with pink light, blinding her. The roots binding Inuyasha dissolved. When the light dissipated, Kagome was astonished; despite being freed from the roots Inuyasha hadn't awoken. Instead, he'd curled into a ball, his whole body shaking.

"No…." He moaned, "Kagome no!" His hands reached up to cover his face, fingers gripping his hair.

 _What's going on? Why hasn't he woken up?!_

"Inuyasha?" His head snapped up so suddenly Kagome scrambled back in surprise. His lips drew back in a snarl, exposing his elongated fangs. A growl rumbled from deep in his chest. His red and blue eyes were fixed on her.

Kagome gulped.

TBC

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Hello readers! Hope you enjoyed this latest installment! There will likely be about one or two chapters more and I'll do my best to have them up as soon as possible. Thank you again to everyone that has shown interest in this story!

Shooshkipoo


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha but he owns my heart *sniff*

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It all happened in what was probably a minute, but felt like far longer than that. A demon crow managed to get past Kirara. Kirara roared in distress. The demon crow let out a horrible shriek like nails on a chalkboard. Inuyasha lunged. Kagome shrank back and squeezed her eyes shut. There was a strangled sound and then silence. Kagome gathered her courage and dared a glance. Inuyasha was crouched before her, his talons stained red with the crow's blood. He had his fangs bared and his eyes narrowed, yet, she was still breathing. Kagome held the Tessaiga out towards him, hating the way her hand shook.

 _Get a grip Kagome! If he was going to do anything, he would have done it by now, right?_

"Inuyasha," she said. She tried to sound soothing, but her voice trembled. "Please, take the sword. Go back to normal." As if on cue, the baby moved, but this time it sent a jolt of pain through her body. She bit back a cry but didn't have long to dwell on it.

Inuyasha moved so quickly, she couldn't have reacted in time. He pounced, knocking her onto her back and pinning her there. Kagome winced as his claws punctured her skin. Kagome willed herself to stay as still as possible. His face was impossible to read. To her surprise, Inuyasha lowered his face to her and sniffed her.

 _What's he doing?_ Her heart was racing, she had no idea what was going to happen. Inuyasha's grip tightened and he traveled down her body, sniffing furiously. When he reached her abdomen, he froze. He released his hold on her arms and looked at her. His face always looked menacing in demon form, but he appeared confused. In retrospect, this was probably a very, _very_ foolish thing to do, but Kagome gathered her strength and flung herself at him, knocking him over and pressing the sword into his hands. She waited with bated breath. It happened gradually, but quickly. The stripes on his cheeks disappeared, the claws and fangs shrank back to their normal size and those blood-thirsty eyes faded back to their normal warm amber.

He blinked a few times, like someone waking up from a deep sleep.

"Kagome." He murmured. From above, the crows screeched in fury at the cat holding them at bay. Inuyasha took a great leap and landed beside Kirara. He paused long enough to give her a grateful pat, before drawing the Tessaiga.

"Wind Scar!" The flock of demon crows dissolved in a cacophony of agonized shrieks. The sky had turned pink with the rising sun. Inuyasha quickly sheathed the sword and jumped back into the pit.

Kagome stared. No matter how many times she'd seen her husband in battle, he never failed to amaze her. The colour high in his face, silver hair flowing behind him as he descended towards her, golden eyes fixed on her like nothing else existed.

"Kagome!" He breathed. Kagome scrambled to her feet and pulled Inuyasha into the tightest embrace she could muster.

"I'm so glad you're back! Are you ok?" Inuyasha seemed too stunned to return her hug. His mind was still a muddled mess. _Another illusion?_ He gently pushed Kagome away from him so he could get a good look at her.

"What's going on? What are you doing here?"

He noticed the blood stains on her sleeves and released her, looking horror-struck. Kirara, evidently tired of waiting swooped down and picked them both up, landing on the grass by the mouth of the pit. She whined happily and turned back into her smaller form. With a contented mew, she curled up into a ball preparing for a well-deserved nap. Now that day had broken, the forest was calm.

"Inuyasha?" He wasn't looking directly at her. His arms hung awkwardly by his sides, clenching and unclenching nervously.

"You're hurt." He stated. "We should uh, take care of that. Stay here, there should be some herbs around." Then he was gone.

 _He knows._ Kagome thought sadly.

 _Idiot, idiot IDIOT!_ Inuyasha raged at himself. He was looking for herbs, honestly! He was also just beating the living daylights out of anything he could lay his hands on. _How could you have been so stupid!? A human bomb of all things! Miroku!_ He cursed. What the hell had happened to Miroku? He remembered only having a few seconds to shove his friend away from the worst of the explosion and draw his sword. After that it was fuzzy. With a snarl, he roughly snatched up a handful of the herbs he needed, tossed them in his mouth and chewed.

Kagome had moved so she could lean against the base of the tree, Kirara asleep in her lap. Her arms really didn't hurt that much and she was too darn happy to care. She breathed deeply, enjoying the feel of the morning sun on her face. She was so calm she barely noticed Inuyasha's approach.

"Oi, take your robe off." Kagome nearly laughed out loud; after years together Inuyasha still had the worst bedside manner. She settled for an amused smile and obeyed. Nobody was around after all. Inuyasha unceremoniously spat the glob of herbs into his hand and gently applied it to her puncture wounds. It stung and Kagome winced.

"Sorry," Inuyasha whispered. He finished up by shedding his fire-rat robe and tearing two strips from his white undershirt. After making sure the bindings weren't too tight, and helping her back into her robe, he went to stand up but Kagome grabbed his sleeve. She tugged insistently until he got the message and sat down. He still avoided her gaze and looked ready to bolt.

"Would you come here!" she finally snapped in annoyance. He hesitated, so Kagome took charge and settled herself onto his lap. Kirara tumbled to the ground and mewed indignantly. Kagome felt a little bad about that, but not bad enough to stop. She took his face in her hands and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

"I'll tell you everything if you want me to, but right now I'm just so happy you're alive. I was worried about you." This time it was Inuyasha that pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, burying his face in her shoulder. Kagome ran her hands through Inuyasha's hair soothingly.

"Everything's ok now, I'm here." She continued this mantra until she felt the hanyou relax into her, comfort and relief finally overriding the pain of whatever this horrible forest had put him through. She knew not to ask him quite yet, but she would. In a little while.

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TBC

Thanks for reading! It's not over quite yet!

Love and hugs!

Shooshkipoo


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine, but one day…one day!

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A week had passed since Kagome had made her return with Inuyasha safely in tow. Hikari and Aiko had just been over the moon to have Uncle Doggy back, they had run to him as fast as their stubby legs could carry them and demanded to be picked up. It was a sign of how happy he was to be back that he did indeed pick them up and tolerated the poking and squeezing and ear-pulling that followed. Miroku, heavily bandaged but up and about had told the girls to let go and stop tormenting Doggy, yet for some reason Inuyasha didn't seem to hear him. Even Shippo was happier than he'd ever let on; he showed it by stealing Inuyasha's dinner that night and letting himself get clobbered with all the usual theatrics. Sango, in an unusual show of affection had welcomed the hanyou back with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much," she had whispered, "you saved Miroku's life."

"Keh. Tell him to not to let his guard down next time."

Yet, things still weren't quite as they should be. Kagome was well used to Inuyasha's over-protective, almost possessive behaviour, but this was getting strange. He never let her out of his sight, but kept his distance, hopping around in the trees and on rooftops rather than simply walking with her. He was his usual brassy self when other people were around, but when they were alone he would seem fidgety and agitated. There had been at least three nights now where he'd insisted he had to keep watch and had stayed outside, never coming to bed. Kagome had explained everything from her side, how yes, Miroku had been injured, but that Inuyasha's quick intervention had saved him from far worse, how she and Kirara had gone searching for him and found him tangled up in roots at the bottom of a pit. That hardest part had been confirming beyond a shadow of doubt that he'd transformed again and been responsible for the puncture wounds in her arms. Kagome had tried explaining to him that even in demon-form, he didn't seem like he had been intending to hurt her; more that he was curious about something and had been careless about how sharp his claws were, but it didn't seem to help. She decided it was time to sit him down and make him talk, a week was long enough.

Kagome wrapped her robe tighter around herself and stepped outside their hut. It wasn't that cold outside, but the night breeze was enough to make her shiver a little. The moon was a sliver in the sky, his human night would be coming any day now. She didn't mind his human-form at all, she certainly preferred it to his demon-form, but she liked him best the way he was.

"Inuyasha?" She called quietly. He seemed to materialize out of nowhere, dropping from the roof and landing about an inch away from her. Apparently, he'd been planning to 'keep watch' again tonight.

"What are you doing out here? Aren't you cold?" Kagome smiled.

"I wanted to look at the stars with you." Keeping the sweet smile on her face, Kagome didn't give Inuyasha a chance to protest, she took his hand and led him towards the hill. He didn't fight, but his hand was lax in her grip.

Once settled in the best spot for star-gazing, a few moments of silence passed. Kagome took a breath and went for it.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" The look of alarm on his face was almost comical, but she was genuinely concerned.

"Keh! 'Course I am. Why ask such a dumb thing?" Translation: No, he wasn't alright.

"You've just been worrying me a bit. Ever since we got back, you follow me everywhere I go."

"You're my wife and you're with pup, I'm not allowed to look after you?" Judging by how red he was turning, Kagome's guess was that even he knew his behaviour was unusual, even for him. He was already starting to shake one foot; a sure sign he was uncomfortable.

"Of course, you are," Kagome said gently. She paused. She hadn't meant to embarrass him.

"You remember we've been to that forest before, right? It was a long time ago."

"I remember." Inuyasha answered flatly.

"I never told you what nightmare those roots showed me." Inuyasha's ears twitched; she had his attention.

"Sango and I talked about it once, she told me the horrible things that the three of you went through and I felt so awful."

"Why?" Kagome drew a shaky breath. What the hell, she was supposed to be getting him to talk about his feelings, not the other way around! Too late now, she supposed.

"I was ashamed. Miroku was afraid of his Wind Tunnel, and Sango was grieving the loss of her family. They had real, terrible fears. And me," Her voice took on a bitter note, "my worst nightmare was seeing you and Kikyo together. You'd chosen her and forgotten all about me. I never wanted to ask what you saw, because I was afraid you'd ask me in return." Kagome sniffled and jumped a bit when a gentle clawed hand brushed away the tear that fell.

"Idiot." It still amazed her how he made that sound like a loving term of endearment.

"First of all, I could never _ever_ , forget about you. Two, it's a little funny that you never asked. If you had, I could have told you what snapped me out of it."

"What?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious. They'd never spoken of that day, it had been bad enough that Kikyo had stolen their shards.

"You." Inuyasha turned his gaze towards the grass, cheeks tinged red. "I was with Kikyo, the day she sealed me to the tree. In the dream, she wanted me to stay with her. But I remembered that I needed to protect you. I woke up and went to find you." Kagome was touched. She reached over and took Inuyasha's hand. Was now a good time to ask the question she'd brought him out here for? To her surprise, he spared her the trouble and continued.

"You're not sneaky you know, you want to know what nightmares I had." Kagome blushed and mumbled something about how she was worried that they were affecting him still. He tightened his grip on her hand, but avoided her eyes.

"It started with bad memories. The day my mother died. Then it was memories, but different from how they happened; the day Sango tried to kill me after Naraku tricked her, the time Miroku snuck off to get his Wind Tunnel repaired." He gulped. "Then it was that day I fought Gatenmaru, only this time I didn't stop at killing the bandits. I…" He squeezed his eyes closed. He couldn't go on, but he didn't need to.

"Oh Inuyasha," Kagome breathed. It all made sense to her now. "It was an illusion. You know I'm not afraid of you." Inuyasha's eyes snapped open and the look he gave her was a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Maybe you should be! I'm a half-breed that can't control his demon side! Hell, Miroku nearly died just for being seen with me!" He stopped when he saw Kagome's tears welling up again. She spoke very slowly.

"What those men did to you was wicked and cowardly. They're the monsters here, not you. Look at me." She placed a hand on Inuyasha's cheek. "Whatever risk comes with being your family, is a risk Sango, Miroku, Shippo and I are all willing to take. We wouldn't have you any other way." Inuyasha pulled her in for a fierce kiss that lasted minutes.

"Please stop avoiding me. I'm tired of sleeping alone." Inuyasha nodded, and kissed her again.

* * *

Two days later, after much cajoling, Kagome managed to convince the family to journey to the autumn marketplace and festival two towns over. Miroku insisted that he was well enough to go, but admitted that he would have to take it easy. Inuyasha had tried to say he wanted to stay behind, but the Kagome had enlisted the twins to cry and say they weren't going unless Uncle Doggy came too. If Sango minded Kagome using her daughters to guilt-trip Inuyasha, she didn't mention it.

They were walking through the bustling streets, enjoying the sights and smells that came with autumn time when Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. Miroku noticed and followed Inuyasha's gaze. When he saw, his expression turned stony.

"What is it you two?" asked Sango. Two men stood outside one of the booths, drinking sake and bragging to one another. They didn't look particularly impressive, in looks or in muscle.

"It's them." Miroku growled. Inuyasha looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Without a word, Sango handed Satoshi over to Miroku. She and Kagome marched over to where the two men stood.

"Hello," said Kagome brightly, "Are you the two men I heard about that exterminated a hanyou about ten nights ago?"

"That's us awright," said the taller of the two. "What do you," He let out a roar of pain when Kagome kneed him in the groin at the exact same moment Sango punched the other man square in the nose.

"What the hell! You" He was about to call them something very rude, Kagome guessed, but Sango chose that moment to release the switchblades she wore on her forearms and hold them to each of the men's throats.

From where he stood, Miroku couldn't hear what his wife was saying, but Inuyasha looked aghast and the men looked ready to wet themselves.

"So, we understand each other?" Kagome asked sweetly.

"Yes, Lady Priestess," the shorter man whimpered. The instant Sango had her blades away from their necks, the pair broke into a run, tripping over themselves, each other and anything in their path. Beaming, Sango and Kagome walked back to their dumbfounded husbands.

"Mommy," Hikari said solemnly, "You're not supposed to punch people." Sango scooped up her two daughters and gave them each a kiss.

"That's true, but those men were mean to Daddy and Uncle Doggy." The twins looked scandalised.

"Hit him again!" Aiko cheered. Miroku couldn't help but laugh. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha and rubbed one of his ears.

"You ok?" She asked.

"Yeah. Let's go get some food, I need a break from your cooking." He tried to run away before Kagome could 'sit' him but no such luck; he pried his face from the dirt and gave her the worst look he could muster, which wasn't much. Sango's words were ringing in his ears.

 _Your bomb nearly killed my husband. For that alone, you are lucky I don't kill you right now. And that so-called 'half-breed' is part of my family. I don't care who you are, if you ever come near anyone in my family again, I will personally hunt you down and make you regret it._

Inuyasha smiled.

THE END

* * *

That's it! Thank you so very much to everyone that read, followed, reviewed and favourited! It means a lot to me!

Lots of love!

Shooshkipoo


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